Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-05-19
THE UNITED STATES ARMY.
How 1t Is Recruited-How the Men Arc
Tested.
Special Correspondence. 7

Special Correspondence
CHICAGO May 3.-People sometimes won
der how, with the deaths and discharges
in the army, the regiments are kept
up to the minimum number. Recruiting
stations for both the cavalry and infantry
are maintained i'll Chicago year in and
| year out to secure volunteers for the de-
partment of Kansas and Missouri The aver
| age number of applicants at each office is about
| sixty month OF two per day. In contrOver-
sion of the idea popularity entertained that
| almost anybody who came along was always
accepted at the government recruiting Offices,
the recruiting sergeant said: why, out Of
the sixty or more applicants every month, We
never accept more than eight OF ten; indeed,
| ten acceptable recruits a month has been
considered high average for Chicago the
past four years l have been on duty
here. The truth is, the government is
rigidly exacting in its acceptance of
volunteers. The applicant must be both
physically and morally sound smart active
and intelligent, and perfect as to eyesight
and hearing" l happened to be present
while a candidate was examined as to his eye
sight. He was seated in chair The surgeon
held one hand over the applicants left eve;
another man, twenty feet distant held up
playing cards one after another in rapid sue
cession, and the candidate was required to
name the card, how many spots, and whether
black or red. Then came the examination as
to hearing. The surgeon placed his hand
over the left ear of the applicant, who was
seated, his face to the wall, four feet distant.
At his back, some twenty feet distant, the
sergeant read in a low monotone from the re-
vlsed statutes, and the applicant had to re-
peat on the instant the words read A more
difficult task was the repeating of a false
multiplication table, the numbers being
rapidly spoken in a low tone by the sergeant,
as for instance, "Nine times nine are ninety
nine, ten times nine are seventy-two, eleven
times nine are sixty-four," etc. When finally
an applicant has been accepted, he is care
fully impressed with the importance of
the step he is taking, and is asked
if he has fully considered the mat
ter, and is certain that he is willing to swear
away his freedom for five long years and be-
come faithful, obedient Federal soldier for
the mere pittance of $14 month and the
allowance for rations and clothing The ser.
geant informed me that not infrequently, at
the expiration of the five years term, the sol
dier had saved up 81, 900 The pay for five
years amounts to $40, which may all be
saved if the soldier is sufficiently providet
Then he cah save S25 year or so from his
allowance for clothing; frequently he had
considerable extra pay for doing "extra
Duty" and besides, many of the soldiers play
the part of teachers, instructing their fellow
soldiers in reading and writing and other
branches. When the term of their enlist
ment expires they are allowed mileage for
travel to place of rendezvous. But few of
them return to the east" resumed the SER
geant: "most of them purchase land and cat
tie with their money and become full tedged
ranch owners, and some become well off. |
am told, the sergeant continued, that four
fftns of the ranchmen in the west are dis
charged Federal soldiers, who have no occa-
sion to regret having entered the government
service" J.. G. X.